Copyright Screen Rant
Marvel Rivals is entering its fifth Season, introducing new characters, modes, maps, and more as it enters a romantic theme for its 1-year anniversary. Along with the fresh features for the game includes a mode not many players expected, alongside several changes to competitive systems. This mode encourages the social elements of the hero shooter, in a way that few titles in the genre manage to do. Season 5 sees the release of Gambit and Rogue as new characters, with the former arriving as a new Strategist in Marvel Rivals on November 14, 2025. This development predates some additional changes to the game, such as Ranked placement changes and a new 18v18 Conquest PvP mode. However, as Cross Progression and other new systems release, a new map offers another mode right at Season 5's launch. Marvel Rivals Introduces A Non-Combat Map In Season 5 Times Square Provides A Gathering Space Instead Of A Competitive Zone From the moment your Season 5 update goes live, you'll be able to join a pure non-combat map with you and your friends. The release of Season 5 sees a "non-combat" map become available, providing a social gathering space for any players within a specific server. This area acts as a place to meet up, show off skins, or otherwise communicate outside of normal matches. This mode likely comes as a result of many players having to find impromptu spaces for non-combat meet-ups. For example, the Doom Match free-for-all match types was sometimes used as gathering hubs, with players rarely competing for victory over just hanging out in a shared space. Friendly meet-ups are common enough in hero shooters, usually when players are exhausted from competitive matches or trying to find like-minded allies for a more coordinated rise through Ranked modes. This non-combat map features Times Square, a version of New York not taken over by Dracula or Zombies seen in Marvel Rivals' other modes. This space seems to have a variety of shops, open areas, and billboards displaying different ads. In all likelihood, the large screens in Times Square will showcase upcoming events, costumes, or other announcements for the game while players are in that space to notice them. Times Square Map Is Only For Social Gathering Instead Of PvP Content No Heroes Will Fight While On This Particular Map There will be no PvP at all on the Times Square map, with no players able to attack one another in these spaces. Much like popular MMOs, this map will only be to meet new people and connect with friends, through whatever means players decide. The addition of new communication systems in Marvel Rivals, such as Emojis, give players far more ways to communicate when interacting with anyone who appears in Times Square. This non-combat zone might be perfect for players looking to show off Legendary skins, unique Emotes, or other cosmetics they've earned. Times Square can host up to 100 people at one time, so the amount of variety players will have in their appearance will create a unique environment the hero shooter hasn't been able to establish before. The dedicated space might also feature a variety of content players might not expect, such as Anniversary exclusive rewards not found in PvP modes. The screens in Times Square have also been seen to play popular MCU trailers, so there could be a possibility of players linking their Disney+ account to watch popular Marvel media on this map. More Hero Shooters Could Benefit From In-Game Social Spaces Players Barely Have Time To Interact Before Competing In Some Titles The "non-combat" map Marvel Rivals has made is one that could benefit a number of other hero shooters, such as Overwatch 2 or any Rainbow Six game. Most of the time, you barely have more than a few minutes to interact with other players before you and your team are thrust into a match. Typically, this PvP setting provides very little room to communicate, especially if everyone is trying to prepare for the upcoming competition. Many games will have modes players are less competitive in, fostering more peaceful interactions with others. But without a direct incentive to be non-combative, there will always be instances where pure social gatherings are disrupted, discouraged, or otherwise dismantled by other players looking only for PvP experiences. "Throwing" is a term players of hero shooters often use to describe a member of their team that isn't trying to play in a PvP match. Without a social gathering space, players having non-combat interactions with each other during a PvP match can often frustrate other teammates for this reason. Even though modes like Marvel Rivals' Doom Match in other hero shooters allow for more interactions, there is no guarantee that others are looking to socialize in those modes. Despite being "1 versus everyone," those match types are still designed around PvP, and are hardly equipped for more than a dozen players to gather at a time. This leads to any non-combat space being one built on a lot of factors that could collapse at any moment.
